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Modi Opens Lok Sabha Debate Marking 150 Years of 'Vande Mataram'

Modi used the commemoration to challenge Congress over its 1937 stance on the song's verses.

Overview

  • The Lok Sabha began a special discussion with a 10-hour slot on Monday, with the NDA allotted three hours and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh scheduled to speak after the prime minister.
  • The Rajya Sabha will take up the discussion on Tuesday, with Union home minister Amit Shah opening and J. P. Nadda listed as the next speaker.
  • In his opening remarks, Modi hailed the song’s role in the freedom struggle, noted the British ban on it, and contrasted its 100th year with the Emergency.
  • Modi reiterated that Congress “removed important stanzas” in 1937 and alleged the move fostered division, while Congress says it followed Rabindranath Tagore’s advice to keep the first two stanzas for inclusivity.
  • Congress has fielded Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Lok Sabha, with TMC naming speakers in both Houses, as the year-long anniversary observances move into extended parliamentary debate.